Of Badges and Sunshine
by NavyStrong42099
Summary: It's been months since Kensi returned from Afghanistan. But after a life or death situation and then an undercover operation with the LAPD leaves Kensi and Deeks questioning what's next for them. And of course, this is all complicated by opening up old wounds...
1. Four Months Later

**Author's Note:**

**Hello everybody! Welcome to Of Badges and Sunshine, my third fan fiction, and sequel to The Ultimatum. You don't have to read the first one, but it may give a little context to this new story. For those of you who want to jump into this story without reading it: The Ultimatum followed the events after Kensi was reassigned. Deeks and the team flew to Afghanistan to intervene after the mission went awry, and the situation was settled, ending with Kensi and Deeks in a relationship and acknowledging their love for each other. Any other important detail will be explained if it comes up in the story. Also, I accept ANY ideas and try to incorporate all of them. If at any time you guys want to see something happen, just send me a prompt and I'll include it. This story will be LONG, so be prepared for the ride :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters. This disclaimer applies for the rest of the chapters in this story.**

**-C**

When Kensi woke up that Saturday morning, she couldn't have been happier. The sun was streaming through the open window in the late spring air, blinding her half-open eyes. The sheets rustled as she exhaled through her nose, nuzzling closer to the body curled beside her.

Kensi Blye had never been one for snuggling, but Deeks had effectively changed her mind on the matter.

They hadn't had much time to work out their pending relationship when Kensi had been reassigned, so she never got used to waking up next to him. Sleeping in a cold, isolated bunk for the next month and then in the hospital recovering from sepsis and a gunshot wound had made it even sweeter that first night home. Kensi never ceased to relish in the warmth next to her.

It was…three months? No, four months since returning home in late December, just in time for Christmas actually. They enjoyed the reunion with their family, who then sent them on a vacation for a few days before returning back to work after winter break.

That vacation to the secluded house on the beach was one of the best gifts either of them had ever gotten. It gave them time away from work, pressure from their coworkers, and being partners to give some thought to their relationship. Luckily, the pair hadn't had a repeat of the mission with Thappa, and their partnership was running smoothly for the most part. Now, in late April, things were still great in everything. Life was good.

He grunted softly in his sleep as he turned over to face Kensi, his baby blues fluttering open.

"Hey," she whispered, voice hoarse for hours of not using it.

"It's Saturday!" Deeks panicked, bolting up in bed and throwing off the covers. He jumped out of bed, quickly throwing on a clean shirt and running a hand through his unruly hair.

"What?" Kensi asked, half laughing as she sat up now.

"I totally forgot I'm supposed to be watching Kyle today. Dammit!" He threw a clean pair of jeans over his boxer shorts and unplugged his phone from the charger.

"Hang on, back up. _What?_" Kensi braided her curly locks off to the side and out of her face.

"A buddy of mine from the LAPD needed me to babysit his four-year-old son Kyle today, which I completely forgot to tell you about."

"Clearly," Kensi remarked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I had to pick him up by nine thirty, and that's only a half an hour away," Deeks said, fishing the car keys out of the pair of pants lying on his bedroom floor from the night before.

"Have fun," she muttered and rolled back over to sleep more.

"Come on, Kens. I could really use your help on this one," Deeks pleaded.

"You're the one good with kids. Me? Not so much," she said into the pillow, her voice becoming muffled. This wasn't at all how she wanted to start off her Saturday morning. Maybe they would walk Monty, go surfing, but now they were being rushed out of the apartment first thing.

"Pleeeeeeease?" Deeks whined.

"Nope."

"Partner?"

"You're on your own."

"I promise to buy you Rocky Road later…" Deeks enticed.

Kensi groaned, holding a pillow over her head to block out the sound of her partner and boyfriend's incessant begging.

"I'll even throw in some donuts…"

With something that resembled a growl, the brunette turned back over and removed the pillow away from her face.

"Twinkies too and you have a deal."

Deeks smirked, "I knew the way to your heart was through food."

Kensi made a face as she chucked a pillow at the detective.

"That was unnecessary, princess." Before Kensi could throw another item from the bed at him, he quickly ducked out of the bedroom calling, "I'll make some coffee!"

She sat up, laughing lightly and jumped out of bed. Kensi threw on a light pair of skinny jeans, a fitted red shirt, and sneakers. Trying to quickly run a brush through her unruly hair, the highly trained agent tied it off in a ponytail. Then she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth before meeting Deeks in her living room.

They still had separate apartments, but more times than not they stayed together. Both had clothes and toiletries over the other's house.

He handed her a travel mug before snatching the keys for his pick-up truck off of the coffee table. They were strewn next to an empty, grease-stained pizza box. All week they had been weighed down by this tasking case where Sam and Callen went under cover as potential buyers for smuggling ring dealing in semi-automatic weapons. That meant that Kensi and Deeks had to watch and make sure everything went according to plan.

Naturally, it didn't happen that way.

The senior agents' cover was blown and they had to shoot their way out. Luckily, nobody was hurt- with the exception of the bad guys of course. So the couple celebrated with pepperoni pizza, beer, and _The Departed_.

After the week they had, Kensi still couldn't believe Deeks convinced her to get out of bed for a boy she's never even met before. But then again, she was getting up for a certain man that she did know- and loved.

As Deeks started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, Kensi asked, "How come I've never met this kid before, or his dad if you two are good friends?"

"His father, Jason Letway, and I used to do a lot of deep cover in the department. I went to NCIS, and he stayed on. I don't see him too much anymore. He's one of the few nice guys at the precinct."

Kensi paused, "It's not just Jason though. I really haven't met any of your friends from the LAPD."

"There's not many," Deeks shrugged, keeping his eyes strictly on the road. Kensi stumbled over her words, trying to find the right words. The surfer beat her to it, "Dunkin' Donuts?"

"You owe me anyways, mister," Kensi laughed, trying to break the tension. It seemed to work as Deeks smiled at her and pulled into the drive-thru.

Three donuts later, the two were driving in the direction of Santa Monica pier to pick up Kyle. It was silent most of the way, so Deeks turned on the country music station. After two songs, Kensi couldn't stand it anymore and went to change the station.

"I can't listen to this," she teased, trying to find a better selection.

"I bought you donuts!" Deeks argued incredulously.

"Yeah, and I could be at home right now instead of-" Kensi broke off.

"What?"

"Crap. We have to go to the bank after we pick up your friend's kid. I've been having credit card problems, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

"I need to go to the ATM anyways. And here we are," he said, pulling in front of a brick house. Kensi looked at the time. It was just two minutes after nine thirty- they had made good time despite the LA traffic. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

They left the car to see a small boy running around the front lawn. His shaggy black hair flew behind him as he chased a Labrador near the shrubs. Kensi didn't need Deeks to tell her that was Kyle.

"Marty!" An older man greeted, appearing from the open garage. If the newcomer was Kyle's father, than he was a spitting image of the police officer. They had the same strong jaw line, light blue eyes, and raven hair.

"Jason, good to see you man!" the detective replied, giving his old a friend a firm hand shake. They went in for a brief hug before Deeks stepped back. "Jason, this is Kensi Blye, my partner at NCIS."

"Nice to meet you," Jason extended a hand, which Kensi cordially took.

"You too."

"His grandparents are gonna be here by tonight to take him back to Seattle for the duration of my assignment. I really appreciate you doing this," Jason turned to Deeks. "Kyle's been looking forward to it."

As if on cue, the officer stumbled forward as a force slammed into his back. Kyle poked his head out from behind his father's legs and gave Kensi and Deeks a small wave.

"Ok, buddy. You have your backpack?" Jason inquired, kneeling to Kyle's height.

"Yes, Dad!" he replied, smiling broadly.

"Have fun and be good for Marty and Grandma and Papa," he planted a firm kiss atop his son's head and brought the small boy close.

"I'll miss you Daddy," Kyle frowned, tugging on the straps of his Transformers backpack.

"I'll miss you too. Time to go, Kyle."

The little boy gave his father one last hug before returning to the truck with Kensi and Deeks. The surfer made sure that Kyle was safely buckled in the backseat. From shotgun, Kensi could see her boyfriend give a salute and a small smile to his friend before climbing in the car himself.

"How old are you now, Kyle?" Deeks inquired, meeting the boy's eyes in the rearview mirror. That brought a grin to his face.

"I'm four!" He displayed proudly, holding up his fingers.

"Wow, you're a big boy!"

"Can we get ice-cream, Marty?"

"Of course we can, but we have to stop at the bank really quick, okay?"

"Okay!"

Deeks shot Kensi a look across the center consol. She was looking on at their interaction with fondness and a light smile. Her boyfriend was truly gifted with children. They managed to find a spot at a nearby parking garage about a block from the bank. Kyle gathered up his belongings and slithered from the backseat.

"Are you bringing your service weapon?" Kensi inquired, subconsciously touching hers in the back of her jeans.

Deeks shrugged. "We're just going to the bank. And anyways, the officer at the front will have to seize them if we walk in with them."

"Safety precautions, Deeks. We have a lot of enemies out there," Kensi reasoned, ensuring that her shirt covered the weapon. The last thing they needed was Kyle seeing it.

"Good point," he agreed and grabbed his Beretta from the glove box. Luckily, the small child was too preoccupied by his Transformer figurine to notice the exchange.

"Come on, Kyle. The sooner we get chores done, the sooner we can get that ice-cream," Kensi encouraged with a smile. It felt less forced now and more comfortable.

"Yay!" He shouted, racing ahead through the parking garage.

"Kyle!" Deeks tried to stop him, sprinting after the child and leaving Kensi behind. The surfer caught up with the vibrant boy just as an unmarked van came crashing around the corner. It sped up the ramp, nearly hitting the two of them.

"Hey, watch it!" Kensi berated the driver, although the man couldn't hear her over the sound of squealing tires. She shook her head before rejoining Deeks and Kyle at the entrance to the parking garage.

Together, they ambled down the street. Deeks reached for her hand, which Kensi gladly took. Kyle walked in front of them so he didn't notice the gesture. They turned the corner and walked up the steps of the nondescript bank. It was part of a smaller building, and unless one was looking for it wouldn't have guessed it was even there.

Forgetting that she was supposed to turn over her weapon, Kensi was stopped by a grizzled police officer in uniform. She must have set off a silent alarm. "I'm sorry ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside so I can conduct a search."

"Sorry, federal agent," Kensi briefly explained, flashing her identification and badge.

The cop took it from her and scrutinized it closer. At least the man was thorough. He nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I'm still going to have to ask that you hand it over."

She looked briefly to see that Kyle was pressing buttons on the ATM, so she thought it was safe to disarm herself. Both her and Deeks emptied their weapons in a bin behind the officer's station before continuing into the bank. The blond surfer called Kyle over as they walked up to the desk.

Kensi didn't even had time to open her mouth when a shout from the back of the compact room drew her attention. Agent instincts in full swing, Deeks and her whipped to see the police offer trying to stop six men in identical black jumpsuits. They all wore masks and donned powerful weapons such as shotguns and semi-automatics.

She reached for a gun that wasn't there as the head man subdued the officer by firing his shotgun straight at his chest. There was no way the guard stood a chance. The loud bang alerted everybody to the danger and screams erupted when vermillion blood began seeping from the body.

Kyle whimpered, crouching and covering his ears behind Deeks. Kensi was about to act when something grabbed and dragged her behind a desk. The men were barking orders, "Nobody move! Throw your cell phones out on the floor in front of you!"

"Hey, buddy. I need you to do something for me, okay?" Deeks had the boy's face between his steady hands.

Kensi had to give the boy props for putting on a brave face and nodding.

"We're gonna play a game. I need you to that desk and not make a sound until Kensi or I come and get you. Okay, buddy?"

"Okay Marty."

"Great. Com'on. Let's move."

Deeks had the boy crawl in front of him as not to be seen by the assailants. Kensi could see that he ushered Kyle behind a row of desks where he couldn't be seen. Deeks hurried back, making the movement last less than ten seconds.

He had just returned to Kensi's side when two more men rounded up the people behind the desk. If Deeks hadn't acted so quickly, he and Kyle would have been noticed.

"Phones out in front of you!" The taller one demanded., pointing a loaded weapon at the pair of agents. "Put your hands above your heads and lie facedown on the ground!"

Deeks shot Kensi a look before removing his phone from his pocket and sliding it towards the criminal. The masked man collected all of the electronics in a fabric bag before taking the butt of his shotgun and smashing every single one.

"Deeks, we can take them out," she whispered, moving into the position that the assailants had requested. "Get a hold of their weapons, we can save somebody from getting hurt."

He turned his head to look at her instead of staring at the floor once lying down. "We can't, Kens. Not when Kyle's with us."

"Shut up!" Another man with visible facial hair ordered, leaning with the barrel of his Glock dangerous close to Deeks's head.

"Employees, move to the back of the bank in a single-file line. Move it!" A medium height, medium build man ordered. All of the people near Kensi and Deeks were forced to a standing position and then marched off somewhere.

"Everybody else, in front of these desks, let's go!" the leader barked.

Kensi and Deeks complied, shuffling to the front of a long counter that they were formally hiding behind. The brunette utilized the opportunity to take in her surroundings as two of the bank robbers were occupied with moving a particularly stubborn employee. She counted six men when they walked in, but now there were four in the main part of the bank. All of the assailants had on balaclavas and wore identical black jumpsuits. However, there were different features of all of them that could be distinguished.

One she pinpointed as the leader. He was the first one in the bank and stood in the center, observing everything. Donning about the same height and build as Callen, the only distinguishing feature about him was a plain brass ring around his middle finger. Kensi referred to him as Brass. He was carrying a semi-automatic sub-machine gun.

The one who had only a moment ago was pointing his Glock at Deeks she decided to call Scruff. Through the openings in the balaclava she could see parts of a beard poking through. This man was yelling, "Hands on top of your head, tuck your knees to your chest!"

A man shoved the end of his shotgun in the face of a crying woman until she headed Scruff's orders. He didn't have any distinguishing features about him other than a vermillion paint stain on the paint leg of his jumpsuit. Kensi decided to name him Red.

Lastly, the malefactor who shot the officer at the front desk was Sullivan. Maybe it was just because Kensi had watched _The Departed _and this guy was a cop-killer, but what he was doing drew her attention more. He was standing behind the counter where the guard formally was, typing away at a computer.

Then Kensi turned her attention to the people to her right. There were maybe ten hostages including her and Deeks. Luckily, there were no children. She looked to the left, and found Deeks checking where he hid Kyle. Thank goodness the kid was staying quiet, for the criminals hadn't found him yet.

It was then that Brass began to speak, "Ladies and gentlemen. Remain calm, and nobody will be hurt. We will make this quick and painless for everybody."

"Any chance the guys know we're here?" Deeks muttered, looking to his girlfriend for a plan.

She shook her head. "We're on our own."

"We can't put Kyle in danger."

"I know, but for now he's-"

"Boss!" Sullivan called the attention of the ringleader. He came from behind the test with a plastic bin in his arms. "Look what I found."

Brass took a look inside of the bin. His wicked grin twisted into a distasteful sneer and handed his weapon to Red, who came up behind his boss to see what Sullivan had discovered.

The ringleader pulled out Kensi's weapon, emptied the clip, and then repeated the same to Deeks's. He held them up by the tips of his fingers as he were disgusted by even holding them. Brass stalked up and down the row of hostages. When he got to Kensi and Deeks, the NCIS agent forced her expression to be neutral.

"Do you know what these are?" Brass shoved the unloaded weapons in the face of a woman next to Kensi.

"G-guns," she stammered, body racking with silent sobs.

"More importantly. It's a Beretta 92F and a SIG Sauer. You know what that means?"

The woman shook her head, green eyes spilling over with tears.

"It means that these are cop guns. Beretta is a standard LAPD issue, and SIGs are used by a variety of federal agencies. So two of you," he broke off, depositing the weapons in the plastic bin and searched the line of people up and down, "are liabilities. And we will find you."

Brass retook his semi-automatic from Red and said to Sullivan, "Search them. If they were allowed inside with their service weapons, then they have ID on their person. I'll bring Techie in here to get going on transferring the funds."

Kensi felt her stomach drop, and Deeks shot her a panicked look. The last thing they wanted was to draw attention to themselves and then possibly Kyle.

"What do you want us to do when we find them?" Sullivan inquired, donning a maniacal smirk.

"Restrain them. If they struggle, kill them both."


	2. That Bad Feeling

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all! Thank you so much for the response this story is getting so far. When I should have been doing homework last night, I kinda wrote this instead. I was gonna wait a few days but what the heck. Thanks to all who reviewed. And PLEASE remember- if you want to see something happen in the story, let me know and I will do my best to incorporate it :) Shout out to Khept, who gave me the idea for a piece of the ending of this particular chapter.**

**-C**

"Nice save, Alex!" Sam shouted from the stands a recreational soccer league, clapping at his eleven-year-old, aspiring goalkeeper son's incredible save. The boy, a spitting image of his father, moved to punt the ball. Just as another teammate from the blue team trapped it, Sam's phone began to ring.

The Navy SEAL was inclined to ignore it. After all, it was a Saturday and it wasn't often he could attend sporting events. He decided to let it go to voice mail. Michelle caught his eye standing next to him, pointedly asking a silent question.

"Probably not important," Sam insisted.

"Daddy, the ice-cream truck's here!" Rosaline, his six-year-old daughter, tugged on the pant leg of his jeans. "Can we get some?"

Sam looked to where she was pointing. He saw the ice-cream truck alright, for it was already attracting a long line of young kids and their reluctant parents. But then he spotted a familiar car parked not too far away from it.

_What is he doing here?_

On cue, his phone began ringing again. This time, Sam took a moment to look at the caller ID. Looks like he was wrong. The phone call was important.

"Work?" Michelle inquired, running a hand through her daughter's pigtails.

"I gotta go," Sam sighed, kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't go Daddy," Rosaline protested with a little pout on her face.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'll buy you ice-cream tonight, okay?" Sam promised. He began proceeding to the parking lot, but not without taking a longing look over his shoulder at his family. Michelle had already turned her attention back to the game, but Rosaline was sitting sullenly in front of her. Sam spotted his eight-year-old son, James, still on the playground with some of the other kids, unaware of his father's departure. His gaze lingered on Alex in goal for another moment before walking into the parking lot.

Sure enough, the silver car was still waiting there. The SEAL pulled open the car door and sat heavily in the shotgun seat.

"This really couldn't wait?" he asked, turning to face the driver.

"Apparently not," none other than Special Agent G. Callen replied. "I tried calling you."

"I was a little preoccupied."

"You know, Alex is getting really good," Callen observed. As the Hanna children's surrogate uncle, he took great interest in their activities. It was the closest G. thought he was ever going to get to having kids of his own.

"Precisely why I don't want to miss the game," Sam let out an exasperated sigh. "What's the problem?"

"We have a dead Naval officer who had top secret clearance." Callen started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "Hetty wants us to go straight to the crime scene at Santa Monica pier."

"Kensi and Deeks meeting us there?"

"I don't know."

Sam shot him a skeptical look, "What do you mean you 'don't know'?"

"Nell couldn't get a hold of them. Both of their cell-phones are turned off."

"Doesn't sound like them," Sam commented.

Callen smirked, "they're probably together and just turned off their phones. You gotta think about them differently nowadays."

"They're gonna get hell if they let us solve this case on our own," Sam trailed off, getting a sinking feeling in his stomach. Things may have changed since Kensi and Deeks worked out their legendary 'thing', but it didn't change the fact that it was unusual for both of them to be unreachable. Sam tried to convince himself that he was worrying too much, which he did more since Deeks's encounter with Sidorov almost a year ago and Kensi's reassignment. He cared deeply for the younger agents, which is why he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

* * *

"Give me your badge," Deeks urgently whispered to Kensi.

Brass had disappeared in the back, but Sullivan was now roughly patting down every hostage and searching for the identification cards. Red was right behind him, persuading the person being searched not to struggle with the barrel of his shotgun.

She dug into her back pocket and passed it stealthily to him as requested. Deeks placed his on top and tucked it behind the counter they were seated in front. Unless any of the men thoroughly searched underneath the desk for their identification, then they were safe.

When Sullivan got to them, Kensi was forced to stand as he ran his meaty hands up and down her body until he discovered her wallet. The man examined her driver's license before tossing it aside. Feeling slightly violated, she sat back down on the floor. They searched Deeks quickly, and discarded his wallet as well.

"Two of you are feds, and we will find you," Sullivan growled menacingly.

Kensi considered making a move. Both of the assailants were close enough where she could take them down easily enough. That left Scruff still on the other side of the atrium and the three other men in the back rooms of the bank, but her and Deeks had handled worse situations before.

Deeks must have read her mind, because he nudged her knee with his own and urged, "don't."

Kensi nodded, signaling that she wasn't going to try anything. It was against her better judgment and instincts as an agent. But she trusted Deeks unconditionally, and he had his reasons for preventing anything from happening. The LAPD liaison brought up a good point earlier as well- they had Kyle and everybody else's safety to consider before making a move.

"Find them?" Brass questioned, returning to the main area with a much shorter man. This must have been Techie, as the ringleader referred to him as.

"No sir. They probably don't have ID on them," Red reasoned.

"Or they hid their badges somewhere. Don't stop looking!" Brass barked.

Techie moved behind the counters, making Kensi's heart nearly stop. If he found Kyle…she shuddered. A boy of that age shouldn't be exposed to such violence. She was even careful about mentioning such things in front of him in the car. Now…now he was experiencing it. People like her and Deeks went into this business to protect people, and right now Kensi was feeling that she had failed.

She let out a sigh of relief when Techie stopped at the desk right behind them. The alleviation of worry fled just as rapidly it had come, when Kensi realized that he was about two feet maximum away from their badges.

"You," Brass gestured to Deeks. "Shut the blinds in the front of the bank. Take Librarian here with you."

As Kensi's boyfriend stood, Red pulled out a woman in her fifties from in front of the counter by her shoulder and practically threw her forward. Her graying hair was in a tight bun and her square glasses resting on a tilt atop her nose.

Deeks glanced over his shoulder at Kensi as he moved to the front of the bank. He worked with the trembling woman to close the blinds. Just as he was about to return to where the other hostages were, the end of a shotgun at his chest stopped him in his tracks.

"You're not done. Turn the sign to closed," Sullivan sneered.

Not wanting to caused trouble, the detective flipped the old-fashioned sign around. He knew what it meant. Anybody coming to the bank on daily business would be warded off with it. These criminals must have disabled the alarms since there were no police officers on scene yet.

As Deeks shuffled back towards Kensi, he took note of the positioning of everything. Various desks were shaped in a U, facing the front. The hostages were pressed against the solid counter that ran parallel with the main doors. They were designed to look like one continuous desk from the front, but were separated into about four different cubicles. To the right were more desks, and Kyle was underneath the closest one to Kensi. The surfer couldn't see the child, which was a good sign. On the left were ATM machines and a scrappy lounge area. No cover there.

Kensi looked at him with wide eyes, and Deeks realized that if the bad guys didn't find their badges, her calm expression would give them away. He approached the part of the counter in front of the techie working at a computer. The masked man was flicking a pen in between his fingers as he stared at the screen. Sitting down next to his girlfriend, he drew her close.

Deeks dropped in her ear, "Act like you're scared."

Kensi immediately picked up on what he was saying. She buried her face in his shoulder and acted like sobs were racking her body. Deeks forced his hands to wrap around her, shaking. Hopefully their performance would just be enough to appear real.

"Boss!" A voice yelled from the back area. Rolling his dark eyes, Brass moved to see what his aggravated teammate wanted. There was angry discourse the echoed into the atrium. It was settled by the sound of three gun shots, right after the other.

Suddenly, it was extremely silent, and Deeks didn't have to fake the trembling in his hands.

"We need to take Brass out," Kensi murmured against his skin.

"Who?"

"The leader of the pack. He has a brass ring on his finger. The guy with the facial hair is Scruff, his friend behind us Techie, the one with the paint stain is Red, and the man who killed the cop is Sullivan. You need to know if we're gonna move."

"Did you just seriously make a reference to _The Departed _in the situation we're in?" Deeks couldn't help but half chuckle.

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Focus, Deeks."

"He's too close to Kyle, there's not a whole lot we can do at the moment, Kens."

She nodded into his shoulder before she felt something dig underneath her chin. Kensi turned her head away from the fabric of Deeks's shirt to see Sullivan holding the barrel of his gun there.

"Get up, Princess." He growled. Her mouth slightly parted, she did as requested. With her arms above her head, she was marched away from the other hostages and among the scattered wallets.

"Where are you taking her?" Deeks asked, moving to get up.

Sullivan spun around, still keeping Kensi in front of him. "You gonna do something about it, tough guy?"

Deeks clenched his fists. Kensi sent him a silent message with her mismatched eyes, pleading him not to do anything irrational.

"Better calm down, boy. Isn't anything you can do about this."

Sullivan pressed himself into Kensi's backside, caressing her cheek his free hand. The agent tried to break away, but he held her fast.

Deeks was about to lunge for Sullivan when out of nowhere Brass knocked him back by striking the surfer's forehead. He was thrown back against the counter, blood already running into his eye.

"Deeks!" Kensi exclaimed as Brass held the gun to his head.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment when she saw the ringleader's trigger finger. She was picking up on every detail in the room. The adrenaline coursing through her veins. Thumping heart in her ears. An elderly couple cowering. Grooves of a desk that Kyle was hiding behind. Rage in Deeks's ocean eyes. Raspy breaths of the man behind her. Ticking clock on a wall. Techie twirling the pen in his fingers.

"I will shoot you!" Brass threatened.

Her racing heart. The clock ticking. Deeks's eyes flicking to her. Whimpering from the hostages. Techie spinning the damn pen.

Deeks held up his hands in surrender, ensuring that he wasn't going to make a move.

"We warned you!" The ringleader half-shouted.

The hands on the clock were still moving. Deeks was blinking the blood out of his eyes. Techie was twirling that pen. Kensi was paralyzed with fear.

"No!" Kensi shouted, leaving the room in silence.

Brass's finger was still on the trigger. The clock was still ticking. Kensi was still trembling. Techie was still twirling the pen.

The clock. His eyes. The pen.

And then suddenly, a small sound erupted like thunder in the room.

The pen flew out of Techie's hands, hit the wall behind him, and rolled underneath the desk. The smaller man removed himself from the chair and sought his play thing out. This small movement caught the attention of Brass, Sullivan, and the other assailants in the room. Kensi closed her eyes, hoping that Techie wouldn't find their IDs.

"Hey Boss…" Techie called, rising from the ground. He was holding the familiar, wallet-sized case for their I.D. and badges.

Curious, Brass turned his attention to the technician and flipped them open. He would see the photograph matching the name. Kensi was just grateful that the discovery of them possibly saved Deeks's life.

Brass opened his mouth to speak when something came flying out of nowhere and hit him straight in the back of the head. Slightly confused, he bent down to pick up the object. A Transformer action figure.

Kyle.

The ringleader nodded in the direction of the desk where the boy was hiding, and Scruff dragged him out by the color of his shirt. Kyle was trying to get away, his eyes wide, but seemed pleased that he had momentarily saved Kensi and Deeks.

Momentarily.

Once Kyle was shoved towards Kensi, Brass held up the and said, "NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye and LAPD Detective Martin Deeks." He looked at Kensi and then Deeks. His thin mouth twisted into a wicked grin before adding, "It's a pleasure to meet you."


	3. Help

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all. I'm incredibly sorry this is so late and not all that long. I was plagued with severe writer's block, sickness, and now I'm in the middle of a snow storm. Yay. Hope you enjoy anyways. Thanks for all of the amazing reviews!**

**-C**

"It's the weekend. They weren't expecting to get called in," Callen tried to reassure Sam. His partner had been making continuous comments about Kensi and Deeks's strange absence.

"They're trained federal agents," he added, ignoring G's attempts. "You think about all the security protocols we go through everyday, and they can't turn on their cell phones?"

Callen threw the ex-Navy SEAL a look, but he knew that that he was right. Sighing, the team leader dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Speed-dialing OSP, it didn't take long for Nell to answer.

"What's up, Callen?" she inquired.

"Any luck reaching Kensi or Deeks?" He asked, ducking underneath the police tape and away from the crime scene. Callen needed to be able to hear what was going on.

"Cell-phones are still turned off, and Hetty's not happy."

"Trace them," he insisted.

"Okay, give me one moment." Callen heard a brief pause as she rapidly typed. After a minute, she continued, "Weird. The GPS is disabled. I'll try to find where they last were."

Nell didn't have to continue for Callen to get a sinking feeling in his stomach. Sam was looking at the team leader at him expectantly.

"Guys, they were last at the Bank of America near Santa Monica pier. They're not too far away from you."

"Send us the address, Nell!" Callen ordered, already heading for the car with Sam close behind.

* * *

"I told you we should have done something," Kensi grumbled, straining against the duct tape that held her fast to the chair.

"I didn't want to put Kyle in danger," Deeks defended, also rubbing his wrists raw against the bonds. They were seated back to back in a room at the rear of the bank, across the hall where the employees were being held. One of them was typing away at the manager's computer at gunpoint.

"And then he decided to throw his doll at their ringleader," she quipped.

"I'm sorry Kensi," Kyle murmured to her left. He was also restrained in a chair, although Kensi hardly saw the point in that. A scared four-year-old boy wasn't going to pose any threat with a gun trained on him. "And it was an action figure…" he trailed off.

She couldn't help but smile at the boy's resiliency. That grin quickly disappeared when the last, unnamed member, Calico, shoved the end of his gun at Kensi's chest. "Shut up!"

Kensi looked into his mismatched green and blue eyes as Kyle began crying.

"See, now you made him cry. Wasn't very nice at all, was it Kens?" Deeks asked.

"Not nice at all," she affirmed with a smirk.

The joking dissipated as Calico drove a punch to Kensi's face. Her head snapped to the side, and she could taste blood in her mouth. It began drizzling out of the corner of her already swollen mouth.

"Stop!" Deeks intervened.

Before Calico could do anymore harm, Scruff poked his head in through the doorway, "We need you."

"What about them?"

"They're not going anywhere," Scruff reassured.

The two assailants left them, shutting the door behind them. Kensi tried thinking. If they were to move now and get caught, the men would most certainly kill them. On the other hand, it was their job to protect the public- on and off duty. And these people wouldn't have qualms about killing another bank employee or hostage.

"Deeks you know we have to move, right?" Kensi inquired.

She could hear the hesitation and reluctance in his voice when he answered, "Yeah."

They were both thinking quickly when Deeks broke the silence once again, "The desks over there might have scissors in them."

"You think we can get over there?"

"I can," he insisted. Deeks scooted the chair forward and away from the other two. Ever so carefully with a balance and strength probable attained from his years of surfing, he stood half-way up. He moved over to the closest of three desks in the room and groaned. Deeks didn't have enough room with the chair to get into the drawers.

But then something caught his eye on the second desk. There were scissors lying on top of the smooth surface. Not believing their luck and the stupidity of the bank robbers, he worked to grasp it in his fingers. Finally snatching them, he turned to face Kyle and Kensi.

He approached Kensi first, seating himself close enough where he could cut her duct tape bonds with ease. Since the scissors weren't the sharpest instrument, it took a minute or two of hacking and sawing before it finally broke.

"Alright, give them to me," she said, taking them from his hand. Kensi worked to cut her left hand free, which took a lot less time because she had a better vantage point than Deeks had.

"Get Kyle free first," Deeks insisted.

Kensi only nodded before kneeling in front of the little boy, "You're gonna be just fine, okay Kyle?"

"Promise?"

"I promise," Kensi said with as much sincerity as possible before quickly severing his bonds.

Kyle rubbed his raw wrists while Deeks was set free as well. Right now, though, it didn't matter that their bonds were cut- they weren't free yet.

"Look for a cell-phone in the desks," Deeks suggested, beginning to rummage through one himself.

"Good idea," Kensi commented and took the one on the opposite side of the room they were in. She practically tore apart the drawers, but she couldn't find a cell-phone, pager, nothing.

And if the men came back through that door, which could happen at any second, they were going to be in some serious trouble.

* * *

"Now we know something's wrong if the bank is supposedly closed," Sam said, trotting down the steps from the bank.

"Did you see the hours printed on the door? It's not a holiday, so they were obviously open at one point today," Callen replied.

"I told you something was wrong," Sam eyed his partner knowingly.

Callen couldn't help but open his eyes. Now back on the sidewalk, he looked around at surrounding buildings for something. "Hey, Sam. Any chance we got a thermal cam?"

"On the sniper scope," Sam answered, catching on to where Callen was going with this.

"The rooftop over there doesn't have a bad angle," G gestured towards the top of a library two buildings over from the bank to the right.

"Across the street might have a better one."

Callen followed his gaze. "That would be good if whatever is happening in the bank took place in the front. What if they're in the back?"

"And what if they were in the wrong place wrong time?"

"Even if they were, do you really think Kensi and Deeks would sit back? As you said earlier, they're trained federal agents," Callen pointed out.

Sam nodded, "Let's head for the library. We don't have time to check both places."

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

"What's the plan here, Deeks?" Kensi asked.

"Get Kyle out first."

Kensi looked to see the small boy swinging his legs back and forth while sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. She moved over to the window, moving the blinds to the side.

"Dammit!" She banged her open palm against the glass. "The windows don't open."

Kensi turned to find Deeks barreling into her, and both of them were down on the ground in an instant.

"Stay down!" He ordered. Kyle had hit the floor as well, and Kensi was squirming underneath Deeks to move.

"What?"

"Sniper dot on your shoulder."

"Was it flickering?"

"Yeah?"

Kensi shrugged Deeks off of her before sitting against the back of the wall. The red dot was not on the back of the chair that Kyle was just sitting in. Indeed, it was flickering.

Deeks turned and followed Kensi's gaze on the back of the chair. "What is that?"

"Help."


	4. Threat of a Letter Opener

**Author's Note:**

**Happy belated Valentine's Day everybody! I hope that you had an awesome celebration, whether it was going out on a date or having a sleepover with some friends, eating chocolate, and watching sappy romance movies *cough*me*cough*. Thanks so much for all the reviews, and here we go!**

**-C**

* * *

"Sam and Callen know we're here," Kensi said, watching the flickering dot with unblinking eyes.

"Morse code?"

"Yep," she replied "I don't know how, but they figured out that we needed help."

"Great, so what now?"

Kensi stood up, facing the window and presumably in the direction where Callen and Sam were. She began moving her fingers in a seemingly random pattern, but Deeks recognized it as American Sign Language.

When she was finished, the dot reappeared on the chair and began flashing once more. It didn't last long this time before it stopped.

"What did that say?" Deeks inquired.

"They asked if we wanted LAPD."

"Not until Kyle gets out of here. If LAPD shows up, then Brass will know we had something to do with it."

"Agreed," Kensi confirmed, before relaying it to Sam and Callen.

Again the dot came back with the response.

"Basement. Sam just said that there's an exit into the back alley from the basement. If we can get Kyle out, they'll pick him up and then send LAPD to handle the hostage situation."

"We passed a door on the way in with the sign: employees only. You think that might be the basement entrance?"

"Maybe. It's a chance we have to take, but that also means opening up this door and risking exposure."

"Hey, we just said a few minutes ago we have to move. Now's our shot. If Sam and Callen figured out we're here then they might be using a thermal cam. Any chance they could back us up on this?"

"Give me a second."

A few more exchanges occurred between Kensi and the other team members before she nodded. "We're set to go. They'll flash the beam when the coast is clear, but we have to go quickly."

"Kyle, we're gonna get you out of here, alright? I want you to run down the stairs and into the basement as fast as you can. A friend will be there waiting for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Marty," the child nodded, eyes wide.

They positioned themselves by the door, and not thirty seconds went by until the red dot signaled the go ahead. Kensi flung it open as Deeks ushered Kyle into the hall. The brunette watched as her boyfriend helped Kyle squeeze through the door and into the basement.

Deeks backed away as soon as the four-year-old disappeared, and they were both able to breathe a sigh of relief. Sam or Callen would pick him up and Kyle would be out of harm's way. Their main task was over, and now they could focus on helping to free the other hostages.

Kensi waved Deeks back into the room where they were previously being held before one of the malefactors caught them out in the hall.

"Okay, we have two options here. We handle this situation ourselves or we wait for Sam and Callen's back up to arrive," Deeks said.

"If we wait, then-"

Kensi broke off as the door flung open abruptly. Although they were caught off guard, their extensive training immediately broke into action. She didn't take note of who it exactly was when she shoved the first guy further into the room and then quickly got the second one into a choke-hold so tightly that he couldn't make a noise.

As Kensi struggled to keep her hold on the assailant, Deeks tackled the other and pinned him fast to the ground. They fought for control, but the blond detective eventually won out by banging his opponent's head against the floor. Meanwhile, Kensi was having issues of keeping her man under control.

He tried knocking his head back against hers several times. Each attempt resulted in Kensi tightening her arm around his throat, but it wasn't going to be enough. Her vision was spinning from the constant impact in the head; the assailant used this to his advantage. The bank robber elbowed her twice in the ribs and then kicked her in the knee, finally enough to make release her grip and buckle. While she was rushing to stand back up, he caught her at the side of the head and slammed it into the doorframe.

* * *

Deeks watched as Kensi collapsed. Safe to move away from the other guy because he was out cold, the detective charged at the second man, Calico. There was such a desperation and force behind his movement to keep him away that Calico was knocked into the opposite wall in the corridor.

Both of them had their hands around the other's throat, but it ended quickly. The noise from the struggle must have caught the attention of Calico's comrades, because the next thing Deeks knew, there was a searing pain in his leg and he was on the ground bleeding.

* * *

"How much longer?"

"Few minutes boss, and then we can get the hell out of here."

"What do you want us to do about the agents?"

"If they so much as twitch we shoot them- again."

Kensi blinked the disorientation out of her eyes, trying to get her bearings. The voices came before her vision did. When she was able to keep her eyes open completely, she found that her hands were tied behind her back and her ankles secured together with duct tape. Sitting up against a wall, she worked to see if there was any give in the tape.

"You might as well stop struggling, Agent Blye. We already had to shoot Detective Deeks."

Brass crouched down in front of her, forearms resting on his knees. Kensi tried to wipe her face clean of any emotion, even though her heart was beating rapidly. She looked wildly around the room, trying to find the familiar mop of blond hair.

"Where is he?" She asked, voice empty of concern.

"Bleeding. Quite heavily I might add," Brass mocked with an ominous tone.

"If he gets hurt-"

"I might warn you that you are in no position to make any threats. We have your boyfriend. And the kid."

Kensi's stomach churned uncomfortably. Not only was Deeks in serious trouble, but now Kyle was too. But something was nagging at the brunette agent. If they got their hands on the four-year-old, then they would have met Sam or Callen.

"You're lying," Kensi couldn't help but smirk. "You don't have the boy."

The confident smile on Brass's face vanished completely. He grabbed Kensi's chin with two fingers and forced her to look him dead in the eye. "Where is he?"

"Out of your reach," Kensi hissed.

Before the ringleader could reply, distant sirens pulled his attention away from the brunette and to Techie, who was typing away at the computer.

"How much longer?"

"Not soon enough, boss. We're moving over three billion dollars through high security measures. The police will get here before I can move it all. We planned for fifteen minutes, not thirty with the problems they caused," Techie accused.

Brass punched the wall irately. "Pack up, we're getting out of here."

"What about her and the other one?" Calico questioned, cocking his gun and pointing it at Kensi.

"Stop. She's no use to us dead."

"What are you thinking, boss?"

"We have her full name and her agency. You really think people in our world aren't going to be looking for her? Her and her friend cost us a large sum of money." Kensi swallowed with difficulty, realizing where this was headed. "Grab her and let's move."

Brass cut the duct tape at her feet and Calico hauled Kensi up. They were moving towards the back exit of the bank, surrounded by all six men. Kensi tried to peek into the other rooms, searching for Deeks.

"What are we doing with the other one?" Scruff inquired.

"Leave him. The bullet in his leg will only slow us down," Brass answered.

When Kensi faltered in her step, he shoved her forward. They reached the back end of the bank, and Techie threw open the door to the back alley. The men didn't get far, for a dozen police officers were waiting for them.

"Put your weapons on the ground and raise your hands slowly!" A voice ordered over a megaphone.

The bank robbers quickly did as they were told, dropping their various guns on the pavement and lifting up their hands.

"Let Agent Blye go, and lie facedown!"

Brass shoved Kensi forward, growling. She approached the ring of police officers and said, "Cut me free. Now. There's another agent inside, probably wounded."

Brass, Calico, Scruff, Techie, Red, and Sullivan were apprehended and arrested, much to Kensi's delight. They killed two people and Deeks was still nowhere to be found. As soon as one of the cops on scene cut her hands free, she raced back inside to find a certain detective.

"Deeks! Deeks!" She yelled, going from room to room.

"In here, Kens!" A voice called back.

She raced into a storage closet to find Deeks putting pressure on a wound in his leg. Kensi quickly went to his side and brushed his hands away to find minimal bleeding. Sighing with relief, she took note that it was only a graze and that Brass had lied to her about that as well.

"You good?" He asked when she ripped the duct tape around his hands to shreds.

"Fine. You?" Deeks threw her a skeptical look that made Kensi laugh despite the circumstances. "I mean it."

"Okay. Well I'm good if you're good."

"I've heard that before," she teased.

Before Deeks could answer, Sam and Callen entered the room, guns out but kept at a lowered position. Seeing that it was their two colleagues and not more criminals, they tucked them away.

"Are you guys hurt?" Sam asked, taking a look at Deeks's blood-stained jeans.

"Just a scratch," he answered.

"That's great, but you two are still going to the emergency room," Callen insisted.

"Not necessary, guys," Kensi argued.

"All the other hostages are. This includes you guys."

Kensi rolled her eyes and helped Deeks get to his feet. His face twisted in pain, but he managed to limp towards the door with Kensi's help.

"Wait, where's Kyle?" the surfer questioned.

"Don't worry, Deeks. He's safe and waiting in the car. His dad's gonna meet us at the hospital," Sam answered.

"Jason's supposed to be going undercover tonight. Has the operation been put on hold?"

"We don't know. What we do know is Hetty threatened us with her letter opener if Sam and I didn't get you guys to the hospital, so let's go."

Deeks grinned. Despite the pain in his leg and the fact that they were moments away from dying a few minutes ago, he was just glad that everybody was safe and he wasn't the only one getting threatened by Hetty's letter opener.

**So, the bank situation is over, but what's next for these agents? Please let me know in the reviews or PM me what you want to see happen! I certainly try to incorporate everything!**


	5. Secret Agent Man

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much everybody! The reviews and the responses are amazing. Please keep them coming and never hesitate to let me know where you want the story to go. I've seen a couple of repeats of the same suggestion. Some of you may know what I'm speaking of. Please know that I'm definitely considering it, but it was not the original intent for the story. So- here's chapter 5 everybody!**

"Where's my dad?" Kyle asked after Kensi and Deeks had climbed in the back seat of Callen's car with the child.

"He's on his way, buddy. We're just gonna go see the doctor first," Deeks replied, trying to hide the grimace of pain when Kyle's swinging legs came into contact with the wound in his calf.

"Did you catch the bad guys?"

In the reflection of the rear view mirror, Deeks saw Callen smirk at the little boy's remark. He answered, "Yeah, we did. Are you okay?"

Kyle nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't cry once. I was brave like Daddy."

"Yes you were. I'll tell you what, if your dad says it's okay, we'll still go out for that ice-cream."

"Sprinkles too?"

"Sprinkles too," Deeks promised.

The drive to the hospital was completed in relative silence. Sam had to take a call from Michelle at one point, and there were sounds of Kyle playing with his action figures in the back seat. Other than that, nobody had much to say. Deeks was just relieved that Kyle seemed to be shrugging the whole ordeal off. After all, he was strong like his father.

As Callen pulled up to the front doors of the hospital, Sam got out of the front seat to help Deeks out of the car. The ride over had only caused the muscle in his calf to clamp up, making the wound hurt even more. He let out a yelp of pain as soon as his foot made contact with the pavement.

"You okay?"

"No, but the sooner we get in the better," Deeks said through gritted teeth.

Callen drove off the park the car, leaving Kensi, Kyle, Sam, and Deeks to walk (or in the detective's case, limp) into the bustling building. People were milling about, some waiting to hear news, others getting snacks from the vending machine.

Instead of going towards the emergency wing, Sam steered the battered group towards the front desk. "We're here to see Doctor Andrew Zayne."

The nurse there, one that Deeks faintly recognized (a sure sign that they had been at Pacific Beach Medical too many times) looked like she was going to write them off before they were interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged man donning a lab coat.

"It's okay Victoria, they're patients of mine," the newcomer reassured the receptionist. The man then turned to the agents. "Come with me, please."

Kensi and Deeks threw Sam a questioning look before they followed the doctor into one of the curtained-off areas that passed for an examination room. He closed the curtain behind them as Deeks collapsed onto the bed, leg aching.

"Henrietta called ahead and informed me of your arrival," Doctor Zayne commented as he pulled a pencil from behind his ear, half hidden by slicked back brown hair.

"Kensi, Deeks, this is Doctor Andrew Zayne, a friend of Hetty's. She wants us seeing him from now on, as he has security clearance to know about our jobs." Sam explained.

"Indeed. Come here, let me have a look at you, kiddo," he said, addressing Kyle.

"I'm gonna wait outside for his dad," the Navy SEAL told them before leaving.

Doctor Zayne kneeled down towards Kyle's height. He flashed the light in front of his eyes, testing for a concussion. Then he examined his arms and other parts of his body. It was clear from a once-over look that the four-year-old was alright, he just needed to be cleared by a doctor.

"You're fine, kid. Some minor bruises, but nothing that won't heal in a few days." He turned his attention towards Kensi, who was now occupying the plastic chair next to the bed. Doctor Zayne repeated the process of shining the light in her eyes, which she shied away from.

"Yeah, you have a concussion. It's not major, but no staring at computer screens or anything like that for a few days. Here is the point in the examination where I would ask if anything else was bothering you, but Hetty warned me about you, Agent Blye." Deeks let out a chortle of laughter, followed by Kensi's signature eye roll.

Andrew pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and checked her breathing briefly before checking her ribs for a signs of fracture. "You have a few bruised ribs, but I can't detect any fractures or breaks. Rotate ice on your jaw tonight, and you should be okay."

Kensi leaned back in the chair, the day's exhaustion catching up to her. Although it wasn't even noon yet, there was enough excitement in the last hour to last her the week. She sat in silence as Andrew stitched up Deeks's leg and told him not to put too much pressure on it for the next day or so, but crutches weren't necessary.

"Hope I don't see you two back here any time soon, but it was nice meeting you," Doctor Zayne dismissed them both with a handshake.

"Thanks, Doc.," Kensi bid farewell. She helped Deeks down from the moveable bed and then into the some-what quiet hall. Kyle walked with them most of the way, until he spotted a familiar figure pacing by the receptionist's desk.

"Daddy!" Kyle yelled before racing ahead and leaping into his father's arms.

Jason Letway held his son in a death grip and planted a firm kiss to his head, eyes slightly watery. Kensi noticed that he looked significantly different from when they saw each other this morning. Kyle's father was wearing a sharp suit, and hair was slicked neatly back. She knew that this had delayed an important undercover assignment, but it was obviously with somebody of high importance. Kensi could feel the urge in Deeks's step when he lurched to meet Jason at a quicker pace. She kept up with him until they caught up with the two.

"Jason, I'm so-"

He cut his friend off with a flick of the hand, "What can you do about it, Marty? It's part of the job and certainly not your fault. In fact, you probably saved his life."

"He's a good kid, and I hate that we put him in danger."

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for looking after Kyle," he turned to Kensi at his last comment as well. "I'm gonna stop by the precinct, have him see a child psychologist. My parents can pick him up from there tonight. Unfortunately, I still have to go under."

"Good luck, man," Deeks wished, putting a hand on Jason's upper arm.

"You too."

With that, Jason turned and walked out of the hospital with Kyle in his arms. A Transformer action figure in his hand, the boy waved good-bye to Kensi and Deeks. They watched them leave until they were out of sight.

"I hope Doctor Zayne had only good news to give," a new voice joined them.

Kensi and Deeks turned to see Hetty standing there, hands clasped behind her back.

"Concussion and stitches between the two of us. Nothing we can't handle," Kensi reassured their operations manager.

"Hm. Go home and get some rest, you two. I don't expect to see you back to work until Tuesday- on desk duty," she added quickly.

"Hetty-" Kensi protested before she cut her off.

"I could always make it longer, Ms. Blye," Hetty threatened.

The daring agent opened her mouth as if she were about to argue, but a nudge from Deeks forced it closed again. Better not to get on Hetty's bad side.

"Wise decision. We would hate for an accident to occur between you and my letter opener."

A deep chuckle from behind alerted Kensi and Deeks to the presence of Sam. He was holding a cup of a dark liquid that seemed to pass for coffee in this place. "Come on, Callen and I will drive you guys home."

"Ah, not so fast," Hetty interrupted them. She pulled out new cells for Kensi and Deeks, and handed the devices to them respectively. "All of your data was backed up, it's as if your old phones never got destroyed. Just- try not to make a habit out of it."

"Thanks Hetty," Kensi and Deeks said simultaneously, taking them, and proceeded to follow Sam.

As they walked out of the hospital building, Deeks's phone began ringing. Except, it was a ring tone that Kensi didn't hear very often- which worried her. Everybody on the team had their own distinct alert sound on Deeks's phone. For instance, it was easy to tell when Callen was calling since "Secret Agent Man" began playing.

Kensi shot Deeks a look, knowing that he would understand the silent question. He answered her unspoken inquiry, "it's Bates. Probably requesting some overdo paperwork. I'll call him back later."

She nodded, satisfied with the answer. They ambled silently back to Callen's car, which was painfully far away from the entrance. Each time Deeks put his foot down, he felt a new stab of pain in his calf.

"That fast? I saw Kyle and his dad walk out of there a minute before you did," Callen commented once Sam opened up the door on the shotgun side of the car.

"Doctor Zayne's good," was the Navy SEAL's simple response.

"Why did Hetty hire him anyway?" Kensi questioned, helping Deeks climb in the backseat as painlessly as possible.

"We can get quicker hospital treatment, and it's easier than having to lie about stuff," the team leader answered.

"Yeah, I just hope-" Deeks started before his phone started to blare the monotonous ring once again. He slipped his hand into his pocket with an eye-roll and immediately quieted it. "As I was saying-"

"Don't you think you should take that?" Sam turned around pointedly in his seat as Callen pulled out of the parking lot.

"Like I said, it's probably about some overdo paperwork. I'm not in the mood to hear him complain about something I did."

The team pretty much accepted his response and left it at that. Since the case with Sidorov, Callen and Sam seemed to be much more protective over the detective, especially when it came to LAPD business. _Nobody _from the police force called to see how their man was doing- even when Deeks was out from work for months. He had proven himself further on the rescue mission in Afghanistan. In the eyes of Hetty and the rest of the team: although Deeks was still technically an LAPD liaison officer, he was NCIS through and through. They didn't deserve to claim ownership over him.

When Deeks's phone went off again, he looked like he was about to chuck it out of the window. It took him a second to realize that instead of the ring tone that had just sounded, the phone was singing "In the Navy."

"Sam, why are you calling me?" Deeks inquired.

"I'm not calling you," Sam insisted, pulling out his phone to check and confirmed, "Pocket dial."

"Figures," Deeks chuckled.

"Hang on, why is my ring tone 'In the Navy'?"

"It's better than having it 'Secret Agent Man'," Callen muttered.

Kensi added, "or 'It's Raining Sunshine'."

They all laughed as the car pulled up in front of Kensi's apartment. "I'm assuming this is the stop for both of you."

Deeks and Kensi shot Callen a look. Did he really have to ask at this point?

"Oh- can you pick my car up from the parking garage near the bank and bring it hear for me?" the brunette asked, dangling the car keys in front of the center counsel.

They sluggishly got up the steps and into the flat after waving good-bye to their teammates. Deeks settled heavily down on the couch with a sigh, closing his eyes with exhaustion. He propped his injured leg up on the coffee table and folded his hands over his stomach.

Kensi planted a kiss atop his head before saying, "I'm gonna change then order us some lunch okay?"

"Sounds good," he murmured lazily, eyes still shut. But there was a huge grin plastered across his face.

Just as quickly as it came, it disappeared as Bates called Deeks for the third time in the last ten minutes. Kensi and him shared a look before the detective finally answered.

"Deeks."

There was a long pause before Kensi's boyfriend had a response. By the facial expression Deeks was donning, she could tell it wasn't good. So she went ahead and retreated into the bedroom where Kensi slipped into shorts and one of his LAPD shirts. By the time she redid her hair and came back out, Deeks was off the phone and on his feet, pacing the room. He was running a hand through his blond mop of hair, something Kensi knew he only did when he was worried or upset.

"What is it?" Kensi asked.

Seeming to be shaken by her sudden reappearance, Deeks turned fully to face her before saying, "Bates wants me to go undercover."


	6. The Papers

**Author's Note: Hey all! Sorry this took so long. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

**-C**

"Undercover," Kensi deadpanned, heart racing. She dropped her folded arms to her side in shock, not really knowing what to do with herself.

"Undercover," Deeks confirmed, meeting her eyes. He bore a desperate expression, twiddling his thumbs.

"Well, what kind of undercover? Where? How long?" she ratted off, crossing the room to meet him.

"Kens-"

"Why is this happening again?" the brunette finished, mismatched orbs gleaming with hurt.

"Kensi." He interrupted, taking her hands in his. "They can call me back anytime they want."

"Bullshit. You belong with NCIS. We're your family, Deeks. Why are we being separated again?"

They stood like that for a long moment in Kensi's living room. Deeks opened and shut his mouth several times, trying to find the right words. His partner beat him to it.

"The LAPD has plenty of other operators. I'm sure Hetty can pull some strings. Hell, I'm sure she can help you surpass normal training with your experience with us and give you a badge as early as tomorrow. That way Bates can own you anymore."

She broke away from Deeks's grip and began pacing up and down the television. Everything was coming to a crumble. They had worked so hard to get to where they were. Kensi didn't know if she could handle another Monica situation.

"Kensi."

"This can't happen anymore, Deeks. I can't have you disappear for months. It almost got you k-" Kensi paused, choking up on her words, tears welling up. "k-killed. It almost got you killed the last time. It got your ex-partner killed."

Deeks closed his eyes briefly, and the brunette knew that he was being taken back to that time so long ago. What was it, almost four years since they first met? Then he went off the radar for the next few months before joining NCIS again.

"This is the last operation. I promise."

"You can't possibly know that, Deeks. You're not some property that can just be handled. I know you love being a cop, but our team is where you belong. Let's go to Ops right now and get the papers."

"Kensi." The brunette finally stopped rambling long enough to listen to what her boyfriend had to say. "I've had the papers to become an agent since the first day I came on as a liaison officer."

"You…" Kensi had this look of hurt flash across her face, albeit she tried to hide it with the infamous Blye mask. "You what?"

"I've had the papers to become an agent for almost four years now. They're in my bedside table drawer, waiting for me to sign them."

"You've had them all this time, and never said anything to me?"

Deeks was fully aware of the betrayal flashing in her eyes, but she was right. He had no reason to keep something like this from her.

"Kens, I-"

"Why?"

He shrugged, "The reasons changed over the years."

"What?" she questioned out of confusion and collapsed into the couch.

Deeks followed, groaning as he sat. "When I first came to NCIS, I was looking at a group of tight-knit strangers who didn't want me there. Dom's death was still affecting all of you, and in everybody's eyes I was his replacement."

Kensi closed her eyes briefly, remembering the start to the first operation they had done together. The Darva case.

_"Deeks. Really?" she asked Eric in disbelief._

_ He confirmed, "Deeks, really. LAPD liaison."_

_ "That's the best they could do? Ugh." Crap. She worked to get out of her chair as she saw the guys, including a certain new detective walk around the corner. "Oh, hello, Deeks."_

_ "Hey Kensi. Oh and, uh," he knocked on the desk with a smile, "it's the best they could do."_

_ Kensi Blye didn't shy away from anybody, but she did offer him a sheepish look and apologized, "Sorry."_

_ "Forgiven."_

"Point taken," Kensi admitted.

"And then there was a time where I thought we were getting to close," Deeks went on.

"I see how that worked out for you."

Deeks laughed. "I was planning on turning them in soon. I wanted to talk about it with you first though."

"Well it looks like that's gonna have to wait. What's this operation they want you to do?"

"An old cover I have to reassume. Human trafficking," Deeks said in a low voice.

"When?"

"I'm meeting Bates at the precinct tonight. I have no idea how long it'll take," he admitted.

Kensi seemed to think this over before crossing the room and settling down on the couch. "Do you have room for one more?"

Deeks sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and answered hesitantly, "Not on this one, Kens. This is not something I want to get you pulled into."

"You think I can't handle myself?" Kensi challenged, lifting her head high.

Deeks had the nerve to chuckle, "God knows I'm perfectly aware of that fact. This isn't like going under for a few days as a married couple or using a different identity to interview a suspect. You _become _this person. And this person I have to become isn't somebody I want you to see."

The brunette scoffed and folded her arms. "I don't care. I need to be in there watching your back."

Deeks ran a hand over his scruff. "I don't like this one bit."

"So I'll buy you a cronut," Kensi shrugged it off. "I'm gonna call Hetty."

As Kensi walked away into the next room, Deeks couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to end really badly.

**Guys, I am so sorry that this has been a two week wait for almost nothing. I had to rethink this chapter so many times because I had to rethink where this story was going. Again, I apologize! Hopefully this will set everything else up. Please check out my one-shot NCIS series, The Basement Sanctity if you want to!**


	7. Negotiating

**Author's Note:**

**Enjoy!**

**-C**

"What exactly are you proposing, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked in the boatshed the next morning.

Deeks shifted uncomfortably in his chair, partly because his leg was throbbing, and part because he was under scrutiny from Bates. The lieutenant's vicious stare was boring into the detective, and he was fully aware of it.

"Bates called me yesterday about an undercover assignment for the LAPD. I'm asking for Kensi's back-up on it."

"You've handled yourself on undercover operations before, Deeks," Bates countered, taking a sip of the coffee that had been served.

"With all due respect, sir, those were operations he didn't have the best back-up on," Kensi intervened. "We've been partners for almost five years and work well together."

"This isn't an NCIS operation. The investigation into this human trafficking ring started almost seven years ago, and will continue as my precinct's operation."

"We're not taking over the op. I'm requesting that my partner goes in with me as backup," Deeks argued.

"And you expect the cartel to accept her with open arms?"

"It's been seven years, Bates. People change."

"Are you forgetting how long it took you to get close? You're right, Deeks. Seven years is a long time. You're going to have to make up for it. With her too? That's even more suspicious," he growled.

"Are you doubting my operating skills?" Kensi questioned, anger trickling into her voice.

Bates broke the hardened expression and laughed lightly, "I wouldn't dare, Agent Blye."

"What is this operation?" Hetty interrupted the argument with a level voice.

"Seven years ago I was went undercover as a lawyer for the Ruiz Cartel under the suspicion that they were trafficking people into the U.S. over the Mexican border," Deeks explained, his teeth grinding together. Kensi could tell that this was going to be another hard case for him.

"How did it go south?" the brunette inquired.

"We received intel that Deeks's cover might have been blown. There was a shipment of girls coming in, but we had to pull him before anything happened."

"So they suspect Detective Deeks already?" Hetty tried to clarify, pointing at the aforementioned blond.

"There was another cop under with Deeks. One of the cartel guys recognized him. He was killed before LAPD pulled him out. Rafael Ruiz, the leader, called off that particular shipment and operations have seem to be buried until now," Bates answered.

"Ruiz cancelled an entire operation even though he believed to have eliminated the threat?" Kensi asked.

"Like I've been saying. The guy's paranoid, and there's no way that he's going to let Deeks in easily, let alone with your company."

Kensi bit her lip thinking it over. The girlfriend side of her wanted to say to hell with it all and let her go in. The operational, agent, and rational side knew that what Bates was saying made sense. They were foolish and somewhat caught up in the previous day's activities to think otherwise. Deeks's resigned expression told her that he was thinking the same thing.

"What if I was Deeks's handler?" she proposed. "We could have a legend as a backup, but I wouldn't be a part of the operation. I'm fluent in Spanish and I know my partner well."

Deeks threw a sideways glance towards Bates. "We _are_ spread kinda thin right now."

Bates seemed to think it over for a moment and flicked a finger between Kensi and Deeks. "You two keep me in the loop on _everything _that goes on."

"Hetty?" Kensi sought permission.

The operations manager eyed all three of them. "You have my consent. We won't leave Mister Deeks in the field on his own, but I expect that your duties here will be performed when necessary, Ms. Blye?"

"Absolutely," Kensi nodded.

"We'll discuss further details in the coming days. For now, learn your covers," Bates dropped a huge folder on the table that made the scattered coffee cups rattle. He pointed at Kensi, "run yours by me before Deeks goes under."

"Sure thing."

Bates gathered himself up to leave before Hetty stopped him. "I hope their legends will be more solid than a driver's license, Lieutenant. If my people burned Detective Deeks the first time our paths crossed, then Ruiz and his men will."

He visibly gulped, shook his head and then left the boatshed for good. As soon as the door slammed shut, Hetty turned her attention towards Kensi and Deeks.

"I am not comfortable with this you two. Ruiz is a dangerous man and one cop is already dead. I know I don't have to tell you to be careful, but-"

"Be careful," Deeks finished for her. "Aren't we always?"

He pulled the files into his arms as Kensi emptied the coffee cops into the sink across the room.

"That's what I'm worried about!" Hetty called after them.

"Your name?"

"Matthew Lawler."

"Where were you born?"

"Queens, New York. Moved to the west coast when I was fifteen."

Kensi scanned the file, seeking a bit of information that might trip him up, even though she knew it was unlikely. Deeks might not have been a trained federal agent, but he certainly had more experience with this type of work than she. It was one thing to go undercover for a few hours. The ballgame changed completely when you had to become that person day and night.

"I know this stuff," Deeks interrupted. "We gotta focus on you."

"Deeks, I'll be fine. It's only a backup."

"And it needs to be airtight," he argued. "I don't want anything happening to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Kensi protested, scooting closer to him on the couch.

"You and I both know that that's a promise we can't make."

His comment stunned her into silence. Usually Deeks was the one to look on the bright side of things. Kensi thought on it and realized that he had been distant in the past twenty four hours.

"The whole bank thing affected you more than you're letting on."

Deeks moved the file to the coffee table and held her hands. "It wasn't that. It was putting Kyle in danger. We weren't even on duty, and somehow a little kid got caught in the crossfire."

Kensi thought she understood. "So you're worried that even though I'm not undercover with you, something's gonna happen to me."

He got a distant look in his eyes. "Yes…but timing just really sucks, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"We were trying to figure out our thing, and then you were reassigned. Even before then it just seemed like we were always interrupted by _something_."

Kensi managed a laugh. There were _too _many incidences of that.

"And now?" she prompted.

Deeks put on a nervous smile, similar to the one he bore when he asked her out to a casual dinner that turned out to not be so casual. "Would you want to go house-hunting with me?"

"Like, for us? Together?" Kensi's lips stretched into a broad grin. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips, never losing the smile.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled.

"So I'll tackle the house and you tackle the bad guys- for now," she added quickly.

"Sounds like a plan, wonder woman. Now, let's get back to your cover…"

**I know that not a lot has been happening lately in the story. My stories are usually high intensity and full of action, but I have to set it up somewhere. I kinda changed direction a few times, so sorry if it seems a little…shaky. Unstable. Sorry this took so long! Will promise shorter waits in the future!**


	8. Complications and Interference

**Author's Note:**

**Several things come to a head in this chapter, so the next one jumps straight into the case from both ends. I promise, it'll get more exciting.**

**-C**

* * *

First light hadn't even shone when Kensi felt a stirring beside her. She turned right back over in her sleep, desperate for more. Her and Deeks had been up well past midnight going over their covers until it was as easy as reciting their own life history. That was the nature of deep undercover, Deeks had explained.

She felt an arm wrap around her midsection as her boyfriend planted a kiss on top of her head. Kensi knew what this meant.

"I have to go," he whispered.

The brunette turned over so their chests were pressed flush against each other. Kensi ran her fingers through his scruffy hair.

"I know."

"Stay safe, and please follow the protocols, Kens."

She laughed, voice raw from hours of being unused and reciting background information in preparation. "You're telling me?"

He smiled back, shadows concealing some of his face. "I'll see you soon, Fern. I promise."

Deeks kissed her one more time before leaving the bed. Kensi lay there in silence, but she knew there was no hope of getting back to sleep. Not with her partner going out there, for the most part, on his own.

She watched him gather some things in the dark. LAPD would give him his apartment for the operation and the accessories such as clothes that came with it, so there wasn't a whole lot to do other than grab a mediocre breakfast and run out the door.

The detective dropped the duffle bag on the bed, a sure sign that he was finished getting ready. With a sinking heart, the impact of this fully hit Kensi. He would be gone for a long time. And other than meetings as his handler, there would be no contact.

"I should get going."

He patted her leg with his hand, but Kensi sat up to clutch it desperately. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kens."

And with that, Deeks disappeared into the shadows.

Kensi groaned and rolled over. She stared absentmindedly at the blaring numbers on their alarm clock.

_I love you too, Kens._

Her heart ached. It was the last time she was going to be hearing that for a long time. As Kensi closed her eyes, she remembered the very first time they had said those words.

It was Christmas morning, a few days after they returned from Afghanistan- and their first holiday as a couple. Deeks had made them a mountainous breakfast fit for kings followed up by some of the best gifts they ever could have gotten each other.

Kensi reached over blindly in the dark and snatched up the watch that Deeks left behind. Because his would be outfitted with a microphone and tracker, he couldn't wear the one Kensi gave him for Christmas that year. It was her fathers, and before that her grandfather's, and so on. She clutched it close to her chest as the minutes ticked away.

Kensi blinked her eyes open to the sound of a blaring alarm. So she managed to fall asleep somehow anyways. Just to add to the annoying awakening, Monty jumped up on the bed and began plodding around the covers.

"Hey boy," she murmured and scratched behind his ears.

She could already tell that the morning was going to be empty indeed without a certain blond surfer.

* * *

It was unsettling, walking into OSP without Deeks by her side. Kensi shouldered her bag and approached the bullpen, only to find it strangely empty. She poked her head precariously around the corners and arches surrounding their desks. Sam and Callen were nowhere to be seen.

Kensi set her bag down and checked her watch. It was only a few minutes before nine. She was half an hour early. Groaning, the brunette collapsed into her chair, not knowing what to do with herself.

"You're here early," a voice sounded from behind.

She jumped up in surprise, banging her knees on the bottom of the desk. Kensi whipped around to find Hetty standing a few inches away from her.

"You have got to stop doing that, Hetty," Kensi groaned.

The operations manager merely smiled at the special agent. "I take it Detective Deeks has left for his undercover this morning."

"Yes," she answered shortly. "Our first meet is at the end of the week unless he contacts me through our burn phones."

"Hmm." Hetty moved around so she was standing more to the side of Kensi's desk instead of directly behind it. "Bates isn't happy about your so-called, interference, but you know this, don't you?"

Kensi bit her lip. "It was obvious the other day at the boatshed. If LAPD had a better track record of their undercover operations then I would stay out of it."

Hetty threw her a skeptical look.

"Okay, but I would be less involved."

Hetty exhaled deeply. "Ms. Blye, as your operations manager, I could not be more pleased with the work you two have been doing lately. What was once fear that conflict would arise in the field has now become a dependence upon the way you and Mr. Deeks perform as partners. Speaking as a friend, Lieutenant Bates was not the only one hesitant about this…arrangement."

Kensi's mouth twisted into a small frown.

"There's a significant difference between assuming a different identity for a few hours. When you have to submerse yourself into the criminal's world for an extended period…well, let's just say that Mr. Deeks will not be the person you know for quite some time."

"Then why let us do it?" Kensi raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Deeks is one of ours, Ms. Blye. We take care of our own."

With that, the operations manager smiled weakly and headed off to the gun range. Kensi was tempted to join her, as now a flood of emotions was threatening to break.

She remembered how distant he had been going under as Max Gentry- and that wasn't full time. He was completely different. A man he could have turned out to be but so thankfully didn't. Kensi couldn't help but wondering who Deeks was as Matthew Lawler.

_Stop it!_ She berated herself. Deeks was always going to be _her _Deeks, regardless of what they did on the clock. He would always be her partner in crime, her best friend…and a whole spew of endless possibilities that came with the future.

With that thought and a broad smile, she pulled out her laptop and began looking at houses that were in their price range and within a few blocks of the beach. One looked promising. It came with the picket fence and everything. Kensi could already see a little girl running around when she realized that it wasn't in a great school system. Scratch that.

Something wrong came with each new house. Too big. Bad neighbors. Too much restoration. She growled and slammed the laptop shut.

This was infuriating!

"What? Did Deeks forget to buy you donuts this morning?" Callen teased as he stepped into the bullpen. Kensi didn't even realize how late it was getting.

"No," she muttered and pretended to busy herself.

"Deeks left this morning?" Sam asked, dropping his bag down.

Kensi nodded, chewing on the end of her pen.

"What's your cover?"

She reopened her laptop, firing up the NCIS database to catch up on some paperwork. "My name is Daniela Berard, I'm his dead brother's fiancé. Don't worry, we ran through the covers fifty times the other night. We're set to go in case anything happens."

* * *

Deeks looked around the apartment one last time before leaving for the club. He straightened his shirt and went to run a hand through his hair habitually when he realized he couldn't. His hair was slicked and combed back, giving the much more professional appearance that Matthew Lawler had. Even the detective's scruff was trimmed neatly.

LAPD went all out- for once. The apartment he was staying in was modern and top of the line- just like his suits. Bates must have come to his senses and realized that it would take a lot of convincing for the Ruiz cartel to let him back within their ranks.

That's why tonight mattered so damn much.

He pulled out a folded up picture of Kensi at the beach where they had taken a vacation for a few days shortly after Christmas. Her hair was up in a high, wet ponytail, and she was riding the perfect wave into the shore- even though she tried to convince Deeks that she wasn't any good at surfing.

Sighing, Deeks folded it up and stuffed it in a copy of Julius Caesar on his bedside table. He didn't know what would happen tonight, but he couldn't afford to be searched.

The surfer locked the door on his way out and hurried down the parking garage with a yawn. Three in the morning. Prime time for business in this part of town. He found the sleek, silver Corvette and hopped in. It wasn't a long drive to the club that was a favorite of the Ruiz cartel, but he enjoyed every moment of cruising the streets in the car.

Something he learned about long-term operations: you gotta enjoy the small things.

As he pulled into the lot, Deeks reached into his pocket and slipped out his burn phone, for contact with LAPD, NCIS, and Kensi only. He sent her a quick text just letting her know that he was making contact with some Ruiz cartel members tonight.

Taking a deep breath, Deeks ambled into the music-pounding club.

It had begun.

* * *

Monday night had come had passed, when Kensi got a brief text from Deeks. It just said: Cant drop by tonight. Business meeting.

She was checking her burn phone every two minutes, and nothing had come in.

She figured that maybe he was tired from the meeting being so late and forgot to text her. But when nothing came to her in the late afternoon on Tuesday, Kensi began to get worried.

Nothing. No word. Kensi tried raising the flag, but Bates didn't do anything.

"You're meet is tomorrow night. Deeks is fine, Agent Blye, he goes method."

Kensi snorted. As if she didn't know that. She had seen him go under as a homeless person before. "I know my partner and this doesn't feel right."

Bates leaned over his desk, clasping his hands. "Deeks is _my _operative. Don't think that you know him better because you don't when it comes to deep cover."

"I understand that this is different, but Deeks is still Deeks."

The Lieutenant growled. "Deeks isn't himself undercover. You're naïve enough to think that you can handle this because you're sleeping with him."

"Excuse me?" Kensi asked incredulously.

"I suspected the last time we met. And now I know for sure. This was a mistake letting you on this case."

"Bates!"

"This is an LAPD operation. We can't be on him all the time because that's not how ops like these work, and you are a conflict of interest."

"He's expecting me at the meet. Deeks is relying on that fact that _I'll _be there," Kensi argued vehemently.

"You go tomorrow night, and that's the last you'll see of him for the remainder of this operation. He did fine the last time without your help. Pass that along to him for me."

Kensi clenched her jaw so hard, her teeth hurt. "I've been working for the past few months without our relationship getting in the way. Our operations manager-"

"Agent Blye, you have no jurisdiction in this matter anymore. You go tonight, and then you're gone. And I better not see you back here."

Kensi stood abruptly, knowing that in technical terms, Bates was right. There was nothing she could do about him taking her off. At least, not openly. She had her hand on the door when something stopped her.

"Deeks is one of us. He might carry an LAPD badge, but the effort shown from your end lacks the conviction you need to get me off this case."

With that, she was gone.

* * *

"Good luck tonight, Kens," Callen clapped her on the shoulder as she was leaving the office.

"Deeks is fine. This is what he does," Sam added.

"I'm meeting him for dinner tonight- if he shows up. He hasn't replied to _anything_." Kensi replied in exasperation.

"Just be prepared for anything, alright?" The team leader said.

"Got it. Night guys."

"Night Kensi."

* * *

It was a casual restaurant, but Kensi decided to go more in, well, her character. She wore a pale yellow blouse with skinny jeans and high heels. Kensi pulled her hair in a high ponytail and clipped in casual earrings. No sign of Deeks going in and out of the restaurant.

Sighing, and maybe sending a little prayer, Kensi left the car and headed into the diner. She told the waitress that she was waiting for somebody, and was led into a booth. The brunette positioned herself facing the front door, even though there was an entrance out back. It was a terrible tactical position.

It was six, Deeks should have been there by now.

"Daniela!" A voice sounded from behind.

Kensi found herself jumping, heart racing. She quickly covered up her instinct of reaching for her gun by putting a hand over her heart and laughing. "Jeez Matt, you startled me."

She turned around, but her broad grin faltered a little. Deeks looked awful.

He had dark bags underneath his eyes, and his orbs were dimly glowing a midnight blue. His blond hair stuck up in awkward places, as if he had been using too much hair gel. More prominent was his bruised jaw and cut eyebrow.

"What happened to you?" Kensi inquired. She stood up to give him a hug.

"Boxing accident," he flashed a fake smile towards her. At last, the brunette noticed the man standing impatiently behind Deeks.

"Who's this?"

"Oh, Daniela, meet Alonso Ruiz. He's a friend."

**Hope that long chapter will make up for the other shorter ones. So! Bates threw Kensi off the case and Deeks seems to be in a little bit of trouble…Hmm….**


	9. Forboding

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all. Sorry this took a long time. I will try to update again before I leave for a Spring Break trip next week. Hope you enjoy. So…Tuesday night's episode…some party, huh? No spoilers in case you haven't seen it…but- wow. Great performance.**

**-C**

* * *

Kensi forced herself to smile at the man Deeks identified as Alonso Ruiz. The miscreant bore a crooked smile to match perfectly with his crooked nose, a sign that it had been broken many times before.

"Pleasure to meet you," she stuck her hand out for a firm shake. Alonso's hands were rough and callused, and Kensi immediately picked up the unmistakable scent of the substance used to clean guns.

"Matthew did not mention how beautiful you were in person," he greeted with a heavy Spanish accent.

_Head in the game Kensi._

Her to-be fiancé had passed away. Daniela Berard wouldn't be so quick to flirt. She shyly looked down and was thankful that a blush didn't creep into her cheeks.

"Alonso," Deeks warned.

"I did not mean to offend," the cartel member apologized, although he didn't sound very sorry.

Kensi only nodded.

"Well, thanks for the ride, man. I owe you one."

The cartel member sneered at Deeks, as it was blatantly a dismissal. "See you around Lawler."

Kensi watched until Alonso was long out of the doors before she asked Deeks, "Do you want some coffee?"

"Sure. I gotta get a lot of work done tonight."

The brunette allowed a sigh of relief. It was their code for asking if it was safe to talk openly.

"What happened? Why didn't you text me back?"

Deeks exhaled deeply. "Bates was right. It wasn't easy getting within their ranks again."

* * *

_Deeks stepped into the club. It was almost the same as how he remembered it from before. The smell of sweat and expensive cologne was enough to make him choke, and girls in skimpy outfits wearing too much make-up wandered out to serve drinks. The detective felt his stomach flip a little. There were the same pulsing lights with the same pounding music enough to make his head spin. It was as if the numerous years hadn't gone by._

Welcome to the Los Angeles Underground, _he thought. _

_The surfer looked around briefly. There were two meaty guys guarding the entrance to the back of the club, where the deputy of the Ruiz cartel would conduct business. _

_Deeks felt a hand clasp him firmly on the shoulder and spin him around roughly. His blue eyes searched the face of his assailant quickly before identifying him. How could he forget the crooked sneer that was permanently planted underneath the nose that had been broken several times. One of them was by Deeks himself._

_"Alonso Ruiz."_

_"Matthew Lawler. What are you doing here?"_

_Deeks grabbed Alonso's hand and smacked it away. "Not here to ruin good suits for one thing. I need to talk to Marcos."_

_Alonso spat by his feet. "You disappear in the middle of a business transaction and then show up ten years later. Then you expect to walk in here…"_

_"It's been seven."_

_Alonso snorted, "Do you think that'll make a difference to Marcos?"_

_Deeks crossed his arms. "It will if you don't tell him I'm here. Now get a move on."_

_Alonso sneered at him, but did as he was told. At least Deeks was still able to have that effect on people here. He didn't wait long until Alonso returned and wordlessly pulled him along to the back of the club. Deeks dodged some waitresses, not making eye contact. They were most likely under aged girls._

_They passed through security with scrutiny, but successfully. Deeks recognized some guys, others not. Alonso, for instance, had been at the very bottom of the food chain when he was last under. Things had changed with no doubt._

_Alonso pushed open the door to Marcos Ruiz's office. Deeks forced himself to exhale and calm down. The show was about to begin, and it was opening night. As far as he was concerned, this would be the hardest performance of his life._

_"When Alonso told me you had walked through our doors, I was a bit skeptical, amigo." Marcos greeted coldly without turning around. _

_Deeks stepped further into the office and took a seat in one of the huge, leathery chairs that encompassed his entire body. Marcos was pouring two glasses of scotch from the cabinet behind the desk._

_"It's been a long time, Marcos."_

_The man finally turned around, revealing cold, calculating eyes and meaty hands. His beard was finely trimmed and hair slicked back. Deeks felt like choking on the cologne that he was wearing._

_"Seven years, as Alonso reminded me." Ruiz walked around the desk and handed Deeks a glass of amber liquid. The detective fondled with the drink for a moment, knowing that he would have to drink it eventually. "You walked out in the middle of our last deal, and then you come waltzing back after this long?"_

_Deeks swallowed. "There was a, uh, incident. In New York."_

_"Business?" Marcos asked, taking a seat behind the desk._

_"Family."_

_He laughed coldly. "You did not mention familia in your last visit."_

_Deeks shot him an icy stare. "My brother was killed by a rival of mine. My sister-in-law would have been next if I didn't get her out of there."_

_Marcos raised his eyebrows. "My sympathies." He didn't sound very sorry. "What brings you back."_

_The blond took a sip of his drink. God, Marcos's taste in alcohol had not improved. "You still looking for a lawyer?"_

_Deeks knew he had been gone too long when the pounding music began ringing in his ears. He could barely concentrate. He was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, wanting to leave and bury his head in several pillows of isolation._

_"That would depend, Lawler."_

_"Come on man, we were so close to a good deal. I'm sure it can happen again."_

_"Mikey was el traidor, amigo. Then you disappear, leaving me with _nothing!_" Marcos bangs his fist on the table in rage._

_Deeks couldn't help but jump. Something was wrong. _

_"Why don't we finish this tomorrow? I think this drink is a little too strong for me," Deeks trailed off, getting to his feet. His hand was shaking and was on the verge of falling over._

_"I need to know, Lawler. You were a good friend. But seven years is a long time."_

_Deeks dropped his glass, losing all control of motor functions, and spiraled into oblivion._

* * *

"And then?" Kensi asked. "Obviously you're back in, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"I woke up in a room. They had drugged me and were asking all sorts of questions. I was this close to slipping up when they finally stopped using the drugs. When that happened, they used physical interrogation for good measure. Long story short, my cover's intact and I'm back in, more or less."

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." Noticing Kensi's skeptical glance, he couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, I mean it."

"If you're lying to me…"

"I wouldn't dare," Deeks joked, although his eyes were serious. "But like I said, it's going to take time to get back to where I was. You saw how Alonso drove me here. They're suspicious alright."

"Well considering the fact that you aren't bugged, I'd say that's a pretty good sign."

"Kens- that's not what I'm talking about. I'm worried that they're gonna start tailing you now."

"Deeks, I don't think that-"

"Alonso wasn't supposed to come tonight," Deeks hissed lowly. "Your cover was a back up, not a play."

Kensi rubbed her eyes in exasperation. "Then this is going to be a problem."

"What?"

"Bates and I got into a fight the other day regarding the fact that you hadn't texted me back. He said that I was too emotionally invested, and therefore threw me off the case."

Deeks rubbed a hand where his scruff should be, staring off into the distance. "We don't have a choice. They saw you, you're a player now."

"You realize Bates is going to come up with some way around that."

"And at my expense…" Deeks trailed off. "Okay, look. Try to talk to Bates. If he removes you as my handler, it won't matter. You're part of this now."

Kensi nodded. "I'll watch for a tail tonight."

"Please be careful."

Kensi managed to smile at him softly at his protective concern. "I always am."

Deeks scoffed. "Other than this parade, how are you?"

The brunette chuckled and said, "I am so done house hunting without you. I swear it is infuriating."

He grinned. "Nothing good yet?"

"Not even remotely."

They talked about seemingly petty things, albeit it was a way for Deeks to clear his head. Especially after the past few days he's had, he needed to see Kensi. She managed to make all the bad things go away.

But the hour was growing late as they talked through dinner, and Deeks knew that they had to depart. So reluctantly, he pulled her close into a tight hug and wished her good night.

"See you soon," she murmured into his ear.

"Not soon enough."

Deeks headed for the back door, forcing himself not to look at Kensi's disappearing form. He would have blown his cover by running back and kissing her if he did.

* * *

Kensi stood under the hot water in her shower for a long time that morning, thinking about what she would say to Bates today. He had begrudgingly agreed to talk about what Deeks had told her in the boat shed. She had kept an eye out for a tail the whole way home. To be sure, she had even stopped at a twenty-four hour convenience store to pick up some stuff.

They were in the clear- for now.

The experienced federal agent didn't have a good feeling about the meet last night when Alonso showed up. Something was definitely up. But until they could identify the anomaly, Deeks would have to stay under.

Kensi shut off the shower water and quickly changed. She sent a text to Hetty letting her know about her meeting in the boat shed, and then she would be at the mission later in the morning.

Her response read: Good luck.

She would need it.

Kensi made it to the boat shed in record time, for as the minutes ticked closer she became more anxious. She approached the low rise building, surprised at what she found inside.

Bates was already waiting. He sat at the table, checking his phone.

"Lieutenant," Kensi stiffly greeted.

"Agent Blye. I take it by your urgent e-mail that something went wrong?"

She tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. At least he was getting straight to business instead of referring to their last meeting. It would work in Deeks's favor much more.

"I went to the meet; a cartel member was with him."

If Bates was surprised, he didn't show it. "Is our boy in trouble?"

"For now, no. The cartel member, Alonso Ruiz, eventually left us. Deeks wasn't bugged, but he was concerned about somebody following me home."

"So they're suspicious."

"They drugged and interrogated him. Hence, the delayed response to my attempts to make contact. My point is, our original intentions have gone beyond that. They're scrutinizing Deeks, and they met me. I'm part of this now. Change his handler if you want, but I'm in this whether you do or not."

Bates nodded, absorbing this information. "I'll make a deal with you, Agent Blye. I still don't like you handling the case. From now on, I'll personally manage this operation. If a situation arises, you are permitted to enter the operation as a more emergent character. Until then, you have to live the life you would as your legend. You never know when they could be watching."

Kensi bit her lip. "Alright. I'll let my boss know."

* * *

"You think Matthew is legit?" Alonso asked, exhaling the smoke from his cigar.

"I trust him, cous. True, it has been a long time, but he withstood the interrogation," Marcos answered, staring off into the distance.

"He leaves right when we kill Mikey, and that doesn't seem suspicious?"

Marcos laughs coldly. "You see, it doesn't matter. We own him."

Alonso waits for him to continue, clearly confused.

"He's been out of commission for a long time. He needs the cash, now for himself and for his sister-in-law."

"And if he's a cop?"

"We know her face. Sister-in-law, partner, handler, whatever role they play, she's leverage. Matthew will remake the money he cost us seven years ago. That, I will promise you."


End file.
